Inspiration from The Great Barrier Reef

It is helpful to know the details of The Great Barrier Reef to fully understand the complexity of the Crochet Coral Reef (CCR) project. The Great Barrier Reef is considered to be one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The massive reef is over 1800 miles long and up to 93 miles wide in some areas. In comparison, the Great Barrier Reef is larger than the Great Wall of China and can be seen from space. Located off the Queensland, Australia coast, there are over 400 different kinds of coral growing in the reef.

The vivid coral colors and variety of textures make the reef an interesting project to recreate using crochet and needle art techniques. If you ever have the opportunity to view this massive living underwater garden, you will find more than just beautiful and intricate coral. There are more than 1500 tropical fish species, sponges, mollusks, clams and turtles. These sea creatures call the coral reef home, which adds to the concern that the reefs are in threat due to pollutants. The fact that the Great Barrier Reef is large enough to see from space is a clear sign of the massiveness and number of living species living there.

In addition to the educational opportunity of the CCR project, this display also gives water and nature enthusiasts the ability to see coral in a new light. From a distance the CCR almost appears to be real coral. You may even want to squint your eyes and pretend you are diving through a reef while viewing the beautiful display of handmade crochet coral.

The last photo displayed about is from the Bleached Reef exhibit. You can read more about the causes of bleached reefs here.